Professional Distance: Thorne and Dash, Book 1

Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for. Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He's a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school. When Thorne hires Dash, it's lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what's between them is more than physical.

Aced

Ace Locke is Hollywood's hottest action hero. Women across the globe fling their panties in his direction, but Ace isn't interested in those - he's more of a boxer briefs kind of guy. Specifically, those of the nearly naked male model on a billboard he drives past every day. Though he recently made headlines for his public coming out, Ace is wary about pursuing a relationship, fearing what the court of public opinion will do to his career.

Off Campus: Bend or Break, Book 1

With his father's Ponzi scheme assets frozen, Tom Worthington believes finishing college is impossible unless he can pay his own way. After months of sleeping in his car and gypsy cabbing for cash, he's ready to do just that. But his new older-student housing comes with an unapologetically gay roommate. Tom doesn't ask why Reese Anders has been separated from the rest of the student population. He's just happy to be sleeping in a bed.

A Fortunate Blizzard

Artist Trevor Morrison has always appreciated the little things in life, treating each day as a gift. And with good reason; he's been on the transplant-recipient list for too long now. When he learns just how numbered his days truly are, he resolves not to take them for granted. But he won't be unrealistic, either - which means romantic commitments are off the table.

The Long Way Home

Ever since the accident that cost him his job on the Seattle police force, Kevin Quinn has been living with psychic abilities he refers to as the 'gift that keeps on taking'. His attempts to use his talents to help the police have been met with limited success. Yet, when teenage boys start going missing from the beach cities of Southern California, Kevin gets on a plane.

The Heart of Texas: Texas Series, Book 1

Riley Hayes, the playboy of the Hayes family, is a young man who seems to have it all: money, a career he loves, and his pick of beautiful women. His father, CEO of HayesOil, passes control of the corporation to his two sons; but a stipulation is attached to Riley's portion. Concerned about Riley's lack of maturity, his father requires that Riley 'marry and stay married for one year to someone he loves'. Angered by the requirement, Riley seeks a means of bypassing his father's stipulation.

Rebound Remedy

The last thing Cole expects to get for the holidays is dumped. But there he is, in the airport on his way to Banff for a romantic getaway, helplessly watching as his boyfriend's ex declares undying love, proposes - and is accepted. With a few weeks to go until Christmas, Cole's mood dives from jolly to jaded. But instead of sitting at home alone and feeling sorry for himself, he goes to his favorite bar, McGregor's, for a pint and some company.

Power Play: Scoring Chances, Book 3

A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford's hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max's accident. Misha has no idea what to do when he's confronted with Max's presence - or the fierce attraction that springs up between them.

Half Moon Rising

After more than a decade, Troy Bishop is going home to the family he left behind when his parents died. Little does Troy know, he's about to get a lot more than he bargained for. Sawyer Quinton has been waiting for his mate for as long as he can remember and was beginning to think he'd never find him. Until Troy Bishop walked back onto the Reservation. The attraction is immediate for both men, but one is hiding a secret and the other must finally open is heart.

Stranded

Cabe got out of the gun-for-hire business the hard way - by nearly dying. Except then his former boss calls in one last favor for one final job. The mission should be simple: get a message to a retired operative in Alaska. But it puts Cabe face-to-face with the one man he doesn't want to see and can never forget. Not after all the secrets and lies. Not after Brax almost killed him.

From out in the Cold

Neil Dalton's foundation is already cracking. Grief, guilt, and PTSD have ruled his life since a terrible crime tore his world apart last year, and he's dreading a holiday visit with the family he simultaneously needs and resents. Then someone from his past shows up and rattles that shaky foundation right out from under him.

Stay with Me

Private investigator Mackenzie Williams' newest client is everything he's looking for in a guy--charming, beautiful, intelligent, and successful. There's only one itty bitty problem: the guy's not exactly gay. In fact Jordan Channing is looking for a PI to follow his fiance. The smart thing would be to thank Jordan for his time, turn Mr. Perfect away (don't let the door hit you on the rump, thank you very much), and forget he exists.

Sunset Park

Raymond has to get his act together and find a place of his own. But when out-and-proud David Butler offers to be his roommate, Raymond agrees for reasons other than needing a place to crash. David is Raymond's opposite in almost every way - he's Connecticut prim and proper while Raymond is a sarcastic longshoreman from Queens - but their friendship is solid. Their closeness surprises everyone as does their not-so-playful flirtation, since Raymond has always kept his bi-curious side a secret.

Hot Head

Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies’ man, and the FDNY isn’t exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish. Griff’s caution and Dante’s cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there’s nothing Griff wouldn’t do… until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty.

Wolfsong

Ox was 23 when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his blood red eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It's been three years since that fateful day and the boy is back. Except now he's a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Cookies

It took me nearly 10 years, two tours in Afghanistan, and losing a leg to come to terms with who I really am. Two years after coming back from war, I can say that I'm finally content. I'm as fit as ever, my prosthetic leg allowing me the freedom of moving and exercising as if nothing has changed. I own a small bakery, and I have a loyal circle of friends.Yet, there's something missing. A part of me craves the intimacy, the deep connection to another human being. But another - bigger - part of me is terrified of letting anyone in. My internal conflict didn't stand a chance when I met Jay....

Perfect Imperfections

Reg Moore has fun talking and drinking with "The" Jeremy Jameson and can't say no when the supposedly straight rock star makes him a once-in-a-lifetime offer: keep him company on his tour by playing the part of his boyfriend.

First and First: Five Boroughs, Book 3

Caleb Stone was raised on the Upper East Side, where wealth and lineage reign and "alternative lifestyles" are hidden. It took him years to come out to his family, but he's still stuck in the stranglehold of their expectations. Caleb knows he has to build his confidence and shake things up, but he doesn't know how, until he meets Oliver Buckley.

Fish Stick Fridays

Deacon Reid was born bad to the bone with no intention of changing. A lifetime of law-bending and living on the edge suits him just fine, until his baby sister dies and he finds himself raising her little girl. Staring down a family history of bad decisions and reaped consequences, Deacon cashes in everything he owns, purchases an auto shop in Half Moon Bay, and takes his niece, Zig, far away from the drug dens and murderous streets they grew up on.

Whiskers of a Chance

Jason Grant runs his own IT business from home, owns his own home, and has the best friend he could imagine. What he doesn't have, or believe he will ever have, is love. When Jason catches a glimpse of his new neighbor on moving day, his libido ignites and his fascination in piqued. He even manages to concoct an excuse to go over and meet the man who makes him hope and want for more than he has in years.

Collide

At 10 years old, Noah Jameson and Cooper Bradshaw collided midair when they dove for the same football. For three years they were inseparable...until one day when Noah and his parents disappeared in the middle of the night. Noah and Cooper never knew what happened to each other. Now, 17 years later, after finding his boyfriend in bed with another man, Noah returns to Blackcreek looking for a fresh start. And damned if he doesn't find his old friend grew up to be as sexy as sin.

Snowed In

Nate has been in love with Quinn, his brother's best friend, for as long as he can remember. Quinn doesn't believe in miracles, especially not Christmas ones. When he decides to win Nate back he knows it won't be easy. The last thing he expects is a health scare, a road trip and a vicious snow storm to work in his favor. In the end, a cabin in the woods turns out to be not only the shelter they desperately need, but also Quinn's very own Christmas miracle.

Sweet Young Thang: Theta Alpha Gamma, Book 3

Thanks to Collin Montes, Theta Alpha Gamma now welcomes gay and bisexual students. Persuading his Uncle Monty, president of the TAG Alumni Association, that the open approach won't adversely affect TAG's reputation is Collin's own first step toward coming out. As long as there are no repercussions, he'll escape the closet by graduation.

Devil's Kiss: Sunset Cove Series, Book 2

Derek Pearson likes to think he's an easygoing guy. Uncomplicated, upfront, and unapologetic with what he wants. His what you see is what you get attitude is on prominent display for anyone who cares to look, and his foul mouth is right there to back it up should you miss the point. However, what you see isn't always what you get, and only a select few have ever glimpsed the real man under the brash exterior.

Publisher's Summary

Chip Arnold is a well-liked football coach at a small liberal arts college, but his personal life is in a bit of a rut. He goes out drinking with his colleagues, gets along well with his players, and dates all the prettiest women in town - he has the life most straight men dream of. But lately none of the women he dates seem to be igniting any passion in him. Then he meets the new school chaplain, Foster Lewis.

Romantic attraction to another man is new and terrifying, and Chip just can't put his finger on why he's drawn to Foster, but it's stronger than anything he's felt for anyone in his life. Never one to back down from a challenge, Chip decides to go for it. But love is never simple, and sometimes it's a downright mess!

The premise behind the story of Chip and Foster is a bit contrived to say the least but the writing style of Eric Arvin envelopes you in such a manner that you forget the implausibility of the premise. Of course, this is from my perspective for I have never met a 40 plus year old man, a self-proclaimed ladies man who at the sight of the new man on campus becomes infatuated, lustful, and lovelorn in a short period. I am not meaning to dissuade anyone from this book, for the writing is engaging and Charlie David’s (a big fan of his anyways) narration brings the story to life. Charlie’s narrative abilities injects realism to the characters and carries the reader or listener to a far away campus where an adventure begins. Additionally, the secondary characters of Brad and Jason (I think that’s their names) and their budding relationship and persistent tomfoolery made me laugh out loud. All in all, Eric Arvin’s writing style and Charlie David’s narrative make this a must read or listen.

This review is killing me to write because I love when Eric Arvin writes fantasy. He is just such a unique thinker, such an interesting guy, that I was sure that I would love his contemporary stuff too. And when I saw that this was a GFY? No brainer! However, this was very hard for me to get through and I ended up DNFing at 75%.

Now, when I DNF an audiobook it is not done lightly. Audiobooks are NOT cheap and I am very choosy when it comes to my Audible listens. However, after over 4 hours of not liking what I was hearing I decided to call it quits.

My main problem with this book has to do both with the narrator and the writing style. The book had one of my GREATEST pet peeves: Constant head hopping. I'm talking POV changes sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph. There is no sense of who is talking because the POV is continuously shifting. To make matters worse, there are four MCs, so I was honestly confused a lot of the time.

In addition, the narrator, Charlie David, had absolutely no change in tone or intonation from person to person. He read each character and part exactly the same (perhaps because there was too much head hopping for him to keep track??) and that just added to the muddled listening experience. I have a STRONG preference for narrators that change their voice for each character. If I wanted to hear a book read entirely in one voice, I would just read it out loud to myself. I want a narrator that makes me feel the story, and a lot of that has to do with vocal differentiation for me. After listening to Chase in Shadow, where Sean Crisden manages at least 7 different voices, this just felt flat to me. It isn't that Charlie David doesn't have an expressive and pleasant voice, it just isn't what I'm looking for in a narrator.

In terms of the GFY, which I usually love, it didn't work for me. I found Chip's sudden sexuality change to be unrealistic. He seemed almost grossed out by other men and it made the GFY seem totally out of the blue. To top it off, it was strongly insta-lovely (I remember they were talking like their second or third time meeting and Chip said he realized that he loved Foster?? WTF?), which I despise.

I also didn't like having two couples in the story. It took away the focus from Chip and Foster and it felt awkward for me.

All in all, I didn't like this story. While I would buy another of Eric Arvin's paranormal or fantasy books in a heartbeat, I'll pass on his contemporaries.

Charlie David is a great narrator. He is the reason I choose this book.

While the characters in this book all acted about 10 years younger than they actually were, it was great fun. Chip's fear of squirrels and inner dialog were hilarious. I loved Kate's golf cart and Brad's and Jason's antics made me chuckle. The romances could have been more mature, but I laugh so much that it didn't matter - what's not to like about something that keeps you laughing..

I’ll start out by saying the narrator, Charlie David, is great. He put lots of emotion into the character, but he couldn’t really “save” this book. This is a very weird and confusing story. Eric Arvin is a very good writer, but the story doesn’t “flow” very well. It is really two mm romance stories that occur at the same time; Chip & Foster and Brad & Jason. Chip is a straight football coach that has “insta love” for the new chaplain, Foster. OK I can go with that. But then the relationship takes these huge leaps that even I, who am pretty laid back about unrealistic events happening in a fictional story, couldn’t buy. First, Chip has very little angst about falling in love with a guy for the first time in his life. Then Foster “outs” Chip to his boss and no one, including Chip bats and eye. The other couple, Brad and Jason, are just annoying to me and I really don’t get why they are even there. That said, there are also really fun moments like when a killer squirrel (in Chips estimation) invades Foster's chapel and Chip comes to the rescue. When Chip tried and fails to subdue the squirrel he says "Oh it's going to remember that." and Foster replies "It's a squirrel, not the mafia." Lines like that make me want to overlook the other stuff, because that is just funny. Alas, I couldn’t because after holding out hope, the ending was bad too.

Eric Arvin is a romantic. Contrary to the photo on the cover, this book isn't just about sex. It is relatively tame in that regard. It is about two different couples, one in mid-life, the other in college, who find love. It's charming in it's simplicity, and is deeply touching at times. This is not a great literary masterpiece, but it's perfect for a road trip or for listening around the house while you get your chores done. It's short, it's sweet, and I liked it a lot.

What made the experience of listening to Simple Men the most enjoyable?

I'm a great fan of m/m romances and I own quite a few. I also travel for work which involves 2+ hour car rides. So I'm always looking for an interesting well written story. Many m/m romances have great love sex scenes, but the story and the character development isn't well developed and scripted and we don't see how the characters fit into the larger world. Simple Men did a good job of doing all the above. It's not a stellar plot by any means but we do get an opportunity to meet the characters, understand them in their past and current setting. We can see them as real and flawed and we understand why they do what they do even if we don't agree with them.

This story has an added subplot so you actually get two love stories for the price of one. Interestingly it's the sub plot that I'd have liked to see developed some more; but at the end you get to see both couples and you understand how one influenced the other.

I don't like to tell plot lines in reviews so I won't do that here either. But I will say that I quite enjoyed the story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Remove the high strung annoying girlfriend and I don't quite see how or why the Chancellor was involved. He was peripheral and something else could have been used the move the plot line along. And after the main character and the girlfriend went on hiatus, she could have been removed. The fact that the second main character was all caught up in her angst was annoying.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I'm fine with his performance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes ... remember I get audible books for long car rides .. ideally I'd like to hear it one sitting or at most 2 ... one for the go leg and one for the return leg.

A little slow and frustrating throughout but I did enjoy the relationships between the boys, coach, Chaplin and women. Have not quite accepted if Chip if bisexual or gay. I suppose the latter is what the author is leading to.